SELKIRK, Man. – A Canadian Alliance government would consider cash injections into farmer Net Income Stabilization accounts as a way to get money to farmers quickly this winter, the CA agriculture critic said last week.
In an interview and later during a cross-Manitoba radio phone-in show, Selkirk-Interlake MP Howard Hilstrom said farmers’ primary demand is to get cash quickly.
One way would be to deposit government money into NISA accounts without requiring farmer contributions. The money could then be withdrawn by farmers according to their specific needs.
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“My personal commitment if we form government and I am the agriculture minister is to getting an immediate solution and one that delivers money quickly to farmers,” said Hilstrom.
“NISA certainly would be one way to do it. That’s what farmers want, not some theoretical Liberal promise for billions that they will never see.”
Money delivered fast
While answering a question during a CBC radio forum on agricultural issues, Hilstrom speculated that a cost-of-production, target price-type program patterned on the Ontario Market Revenue Insurance program could be another vehicle for getting money out quickly.
It was the most explicit comment yet by the CA on how it would do better than the Liberals in helping grain and oilseed farmers survive their current cash crunch.
In its campaign platform, the party said only that it would “support safety net programs including emergency disaster relief, crop insurance and NISA to assist farmers struggling against conditions outside their control.”
The party has resisted calls to make a specific dollar commitment to the issue.
Hilstrom said last week a final party decision has not been made on how to convert that vague promise to specific policy, but using NISA is an obvious option.
“If you dumped say $30,000 into every NISA account without expecting farmers to make their own contribution, that would be money available for farmers in trouble,” he said.
“That money would be used to pay down bills, to buy things. It would get out to the community very quickly.”
The comments were dismissed by Hilstrom’s political rivals.
Former Progressive Conservative agriculture critic Rick Borotsik, running for re-election in Brandon-Souris, said it was another example of Alliance policy confusion and “flip flop.”
“I’ve never heard of these positions before,” he said.
Borotsik questioned if the CA really supports the principles of the Gross Revenue Insurance Plan, on which the Ontario MRI program is based.
Still, Hilstrom’s promise of quick farm aid responded to a demand made Nov. 9 by Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen during a farmer rally on Parliament Hill.
“Our farmers stand largely alone,” Friesen said.
“The Canadian farmer now finds himself competing against government treasuries in other countries, and these factors have created a crippling environment within which it is absolutely impossible to survive.”
He said political parties must respond with “investment” if they want agriculture to flourish.
“Our farmers continue to live in an environment that is threatening collapse of the entire agriculture and agri-food industry in Canada.”
